5 Opinions on the Second Round of the First Democratic Primary Debates

(via Doug Mills)

Night two of the Democratic Primary debates had more political heavy-weights than night one, but the little guys made sure to stand out. They all debated the same issues, ranging from taxes to healthcare to immigration, and the sparks flew all over in the second round.

Kama-Kama-Kama-Kamalaaaa Harris
Senator Kamala Harris was the star of the show in last night’s debate, and for good reason. Harris silenced the crowd by calling out the actions of the other candidates, saying “America does not want to witness a food fight, they want to know how we are going to put food on the table.” She then went on to silence the room for the second time, saying, “I would like to speak on the issue of race,” drawing a deafening silence, and then proceeded to rip former Vice President Joe Biden to shreds on national television. Her usage of her own identity and skills as a former attorney to attack an opponent many had left alone due to his reputation was remarkable. Harris was able to show the people of the United States what it is she can really do, and she did it with a bang.

Biden’s Lead is Becoming Shorter
Biden came into this debate as the leading Democratic candidate with over 30% of the vote, but don’t expect him to be polling that high in the future. Aside from the aforementioned battle with Senator Harris, his homeboy feel could not compensate for the fact that he was outmatched on multiple occasions on issues of policy, which is not at all what you want to see from a former Vice President. After dancing around many questions and having to combat with Harris, Bernie Sanders came in with the final blow against Biden, calling out Biden’s support of the Iraq War. I fully expect the former VP to be first in the polls, but that is because of the massive lead he came into the debate with, not because of his performance. 

Bernie Sanders Disappeared
Bernie Sanders was vocal and made good points on universal healthcare, but for the rest of the debate it just seemed he only pulled from his stump speech. Sanders seemed lost at times, and it appeared as though he faded away during any clash he encountered. The senator from Vermont may be showing signs of weakness in the early going, and for many, it could call into question his decision-making ability as commander in chief.

What is going on with Marianne Williamson?
Author Marianne Williams was one of the most memorable participants of last night’s debate, even though she had a little over five minutes of speaking. She started out with a comment that many people joked about, but I took it differently. Williamson said, “We've gotta get deeper than just these superficial fixes, as important as they are” when referencing the other candidates' plans. She has since been criticized across the internet, and while she did make some strange comments, particularly about defeating Trump with love, her first comment struck a chord with me. Many people thought she was calling the actual impacts of the plans superficial, but I thought she was calling the ideas superficial. Now hear me out, I’m not saying what you probably think I am. I thought Williamson was talking about how we need to not only have plans, but also a plan to execute them. Universal healthcare would be great, but with a largely divided Congress it will be incredibly difficult. You can have as many plans as you want, but if you can’t get them passed, then they are worthless. 

Overall?
​I enjoyed last night’s debate, and I was happy with the outcome. There weren’t a lot of surprises, but it still made for an entertaining evening. The field is becoming more and more clear as we approach the Democratic National Convention. The heavyweights, Sanders, Biden, and Harris, made strides both forward and back, and it also appeared that moderates are being shoved out, which is a problem on its own. Hopefully by the time we have a nominee, our candidates will not have done enough to hurt themselves in the general.

​Garrison Funk 

​Garrison is the Director of Sports Commentaries for The Weekly Cad.